casting Dispel on yourself

[sir_argo]

If someone casts Deafness on me, I completely understand that I can cast Dispel Magic on that. I also see no problem with casting Remove Curse on myself if someone afflicts me with Bestow Curse.

But when a spell specifically alters your mind, it doesn't seem like you should be able to take an action to remove the effect. Example, if I am under the effects of a Fear spell, and I've run far enough away that I can no longer see you, can I cast Dispel Magic on myself? Or if there is nowhere to run, I'm in the farthest corner in which I can be, can I do it? My gut tells me no, but I don't see rules prohibiting it. This gets even more murky if the spell is Charm Person. You are normally unaware that you've been charmed, but what if your friends tell you that you are? So I was in a tavern and Morgan cast Charm Person on me. I'm now her best friend. One of my real friends tells me, dude... you've been charmed by Morgan! I'm now aware that I've been charmed--my character should want to remove that. But I'm also still Morgan's best friend--and wouldn't my charmed self want to stay her friend? Can I cast Dispel Magic?

It seems wrong to allow the target to dispel the effect himself, but it seems like the rules allow it.

How would you rule on this?

[RickAllison]

"She charmed you."
"She is my best friend, why would she do that?"
"You didn't even know her an hour ago."
"So? Look, I'll prove it. Ritual cast Identify! Wait, Charm Person? Dispel Magic."

A person can be your friend and betray you. Often, the trust lost due to that can permanently how you feel about them. You could have someone who is really your best friend who uses Charm Person to lie about why they ditched you. Even if you still consider them your best friend afterwards, you still don't necessarily trust them. You would always have that doubt of "are they controlling me again?"

Basically, friendship and trust are related, but don't have to come together. Even trust can have layers. I can trust that a friend ultimately is looking out for me, but not trust that being my advocate won't include murdering my enemies (yandere) or not trust that they will keep my secrets.

[Foxhound438]

if you couldn't, stillness of mind would be the most broken ability in the game

broken in the sense that it doesn't work



I feel like it kind of comes down to how you envision magical charming works; if you see it as "I know and trust this person so I'll do what they ask", I see your angle, but if you see it as "Who is this person and why do I feel so inclined to do things that I normally wouldn't do for strangers" then being able to dispel/cleansing touch/stillness of mind makes a lot more sense.